Fishing-reel.



PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

E. L. GILMORE.

FISHING REEL.

APPLIOATION rILnn 8EP'1.28. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

hi eons Quota:

PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

2 SHEETSSHEI1T 2.

Swwentoz E. L. GILMORE.

FISHING REEL.

APPLIOATION FILED SBPT.28, 1906.

1X 1 tn can:

1 UNITED srA'r s PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD L. GILMORE, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DAVID F.

' ANDERSON, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

' FISHING-REEL.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1907.

g Application filed September 28,1906. Serial No. 336.649.

To all whom alt-may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. GILMORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Im'provementsin Fishing-Reels, of which the following is a s ecification.

This invention relatesto shing reels, and more particularly to an automatic, adjustable drag or brake therefor.

The ject of my invention is to provide in a fishing reel an automatic, centrifugal brake device capable of adjustment and limitation, and a plied to the end of a linespool, ada ,te tooperate in conjunction with a fixe rim, or equivalent means, on the reel casing, to regulate or control the speed of rotationof the spool, thereby preventing snarlling or back-lashing of the line on the spoo p Another object is to provide an automatic brake device of simple construction, capable of quick adjustment to suit different weights of line. or bait, size of line-spool, different kinds of rods and other varying conditions apt to arise or bepresent in fishing tackle.

By limiting the outward movement of the spring brake-lever, thereby controlling or stopping the centrifugal pressure at any desire de ee, no matter what the speed of the spoo -may be, the brake cannot exert a pressure beyond that point or degree. This 1s necessary that the rake may not unduly retard the rotation of the spool during first period of cast, and yet give sufficient pressure at finish.

The- 'matter constituting my invention will be defined in the claims.

I will now describe the details of construction of my improved brake devices by reference to the accompanying.- drawings, in which,

Figures 1 to 8 are views of modified forms of my invention, each showing an end of a line spool to which a centrifugally operated brake is a plied and a section of a fixed rim of the casing. Fig. 9 represents alongitudinal'section of a fishing reel, partly showing mynbrake device. Fig. 10 represents part of anend view of a reel spool with parts in section, showing another form of my centrifugallyactuated brake. Fig. 11 represents a simllal. view, showing a slight modification. Figs. 12, 13, 14, and 15 represent end views of a reel spool with modified forms of my centrifugal brake applied thereto, and asection of a fixed rim or flangeon the reel cas- I ing. Fig.- 16 re resents side and end views, on enlarged sca e, of an adjustable weight device for the brake-shoe.

In bait casting .the bait is delivered with v varying degrees of velocity, in the direction deslred, by swinging the ole through the air, the, tip and bait exten ing a few inches beyond, describing an arc, and the bait being restrainedfrom flight until such time as it is desired to release it by pressure of thumb on the s ooled line. When released it is projecte by centrifugal force orpotential energy to some distance, when it is recovered by operating the reel in the ordinary manner.

In casting the im etus given to the linewhat back-lashing would frequently occur under conditions of actual fish1ng,'wh en endeavorin'g to cast the bait with accuracy atdifferent distances.

The" bait has a graduated speed through the air from fast to slow, but the impetus given to the line-spool does not lose its speed in the same ratio or time, so it has to be restrained by the application of a graduated igiessure, for best results. A uniform or ed pressure, such as would be given by a set-drag, such as reels are ordinarily provided with, will not do. As different speeds are given to thereel in the endeavor to cast difierent distances, the brake or pressure must be so applied in restraining the speed of the reel that it may give out the line as.

fast as the bait will take it, andno faster.

Heretofore this has, been done with varying degrees ofsuccess by the pressure of the thumb on the spool.

The basic .princigiles and simplest forms of my centrifugal bra e are illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive-and will be described in detail after a description of the reel. frame, line spool and connections.

The reel A is constructed with thejusual frame composed of the heads B and Bconor axle Z) passing through openings at in the heads and journaled in the end bearings a".

- In the head B is arranged the gearing, -comrigidly connecte posed of a pinion b on shaft 1) and meshing" with a drivinggear b, on a short shaft 00, adapted to be operated by a suitable handle,

(not shown). The line spool C is composed of the concave end plates 0 a secured to the shaft 6. To one end of the shaft 5 secured a fiat end late a, which may also be d to the concave plate 0 so as to revolve therewith. On this flat plate 0 is mounted my centrifugal brake device.

011 the fixed head B of the reel-frame is rigl movement of the weighted end d of lever D.

idly secured an inwardly projecting annular ring or flange b which serves as the brake-v rim or bearing for my centrifugal springbrake as shown in Fig. 9 and the other fig-' ures of the drawings. The s ring brake D may be provided with a bra e shoeE as shown in Fig. 1. In this form of brake I provide an adjustable eccentricstop device f which may be turned toward or from the brake D for controlling the extent of its outward movement.

A favorite and efiective form of my brake device is illustrated in Fig; 2 in which there is a-perfectl balanced brake shoe E having the springrake lever D attached thereto and having aweighted end (1 which is consired manner to the lever D and may bean .lntegral part thereof formed by tapering the trolled by an adjustable eccentric stop i This eccentric stop serves to limit the outward movementof the spring brake lever D. The weight d may be applied in any destem of the lever. In thisdesign the pull of lever D is in'line of the brake pivot and the only force applied to the brake is that carried through the action of the spring lever.

- By attaching the lever D at :0, I get a direct centrifugal pull or pressure in addition to the above described action. Suitable means,

such as a plunger Z, may be employed to adju'st the'stop f and also the adjustable members hand 71,. This" result is effected by reason of the fact that the adjustable members are carried by the end of the s 001 and which latter is movable circumferentlally about its axis relative to the frame which In the modification shown in Fig. 3. theconstruction and operation is very similar to that shown in Fig. 2, but in this arrangement the spring lever D is attached separately to the post d adjacent to the brake shoe E and bears against an inwardly pro .stopf'.

j ecting lug e of the brake shoe E and'is con' trolled at its outer end by the eccentric st'op f. The brake shoe E is pivotally connected to the plate 0 by a'central pin e, in position to bear upon the fixed rim b. The brake 'may -be further modified as shown'in Fig. 4, in which the spring lever D is bent and pivoted to the pin d and its short.

' arm connected to the brake shoe E. In this modification an adjustable eccentric stop f" is set in the end plate c so as to limit the The device may be further modified as shown in Fig. '5, in which one end of the brake-lever D is attached to the pivotal pin e of shoe E, while the other'end bears against the end of the brake-shoe at as. In this construction, the weight d of lever D will be be arranged to bear upon the outer surface of the rim 6, as

shown in Fig. 6, and in this arrangement, the lever D is made'longer and coiled upon itself around the pivotal pin d, while the weighted end'd is arranged to bear against the ad justable stop f A mechanical equivalent for the spring lever D could be made by using a comparatively'heavy Wire or stiff-lever D pivoted at d and having a weighted end (1, .as shown in Fig. 7. I tached to the brake-shoe E, near its pivotal pin e. bears against the outerend of'th'e spring I 'and its outward movement is controlled by .the eccentric stop device f as above de-.

scribed with reference to other figures of the drawing. use'in this device a coiled spring I placed against the inner face of the brake-shoe and bearing on the stiff lever B, as shown in Fi 8. a

In the modification shown in Fig. 10, I rovide a sliding and adjustable weight or fillcrum h, arran ed in a slot or one bar at It will be seen that the brake D In this device, .a spring I is at- Instead of a flat spring I, I may the inner face 0 brake-shoe E, in position i for spring-lever D to bear a ainst, as shown. Lever D is pivoted to post placed near the shoe E, and has a weighted end d,-- adapted to be limited in outward movement by the fixed stop f. By changing the position of the weight or fulcrum h, I regulate the lever.

action upon the brake-shoe E and the outward movement of lever D is limited by the .iThe construction ofthe device shown in .Fig. 11 is very similar to that in Fig. 10, but

able weight it having teeth at its inner face engaging teeth 6" on the inner face of shoe E.

This ad ustable weight h is shown on enlarged 1 scale in Fig. 16. Evidently the weight or fulcrum h may be slid to any desired position on bar 9 and will engage the teeth e and be held in place.

In Fig. 12 is shown a simpler form of an adjustable weight it, by means of which it is possible to change the brake-power of the shoe E. The weight k may be held in a slot or in any other desired manner for connect:

' ing it with the shoe E. In the modification bar I) fixed to a postd in the end plate 0.

The fulcrum h or sliding weight It can be adjusted, that is slid to the right or left along the edge of the brake, by means of a plunger Z set in an opening in a raised disk It on the fixed head B of the reel-case. A coiled spring- 3m is preferably placed between the plate and head Z" of the plunger for retracting the latter. The plunger Z is arranged in head plate B in position to be in line of a circle which would be described by fulcrum h and weight it when rotated with plate 0" to which .the brake devices are attached.

When the plunger is depressed its inner end may be made to engage the fulcrum or weight when one or the other is rotated into position. N ow, by firmly turning the linee spool C, the fulcrum may be moved to right or left, depending on the direction in which the spool is rotated and by thus changing the fulcrum, any desired pressure upon the brake rim may be obtained.

'- Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s,

1. In a fishing reel comprising a frame and rotatable spool mounted therein, the combination of a brake member carried by the spool for cooperation with the frame, and a plunger applied to the frame and operable to engage with and disengage from the brake member to control the operation of the latter.

2. In a fishing reel, the combinationwith the spool, of a centrifugally operable brake forsaid spool, and means for controlling the centrifugal action of the brake.

3. In a fishing reel, the combination with the spool, of a centrifugally operable brake 5. In a fishing reel, the combination with the spool, of a brake for retarding the movement of said spool and manually controlled means for varying the pressure of said bralie.

6. In a fishing reel, the combination with the spool, of a centrifugally operable brake for retarding the movement of the spool, and stop means arranged to cooperate with the brake to govern the centrifugal action thereof. Y

7. In a fishing reel, the combination with the spool, of a centrifugally operating brake for automatically retarding the movement of the spool, and means independent of the spool for governing the action of said centrifugally operating brake.

8. In a fishing reel, the combination with the spool, a brake element for retarding the movement of the spool, and means capable of ad justin the braking action of said brake.

9. In a llSlllIl reel, the combination, with the spool, a bralze flange adjacent thereto, a brake which is mounted on the spool for cooperation with the brake flange, and means capable of varying the braking action of the brake member with respect to the brake flange aforesaid.

10. In a fishing reel, the combination with the spool, an automatically 0 eratingbrake for retarding the movement 0 the spool, and external manually operable means for controlling the braking action of said brake.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD L. GILMORE. Witnesses v A. -W. CRAVER, H. G. HUFFMAN. 

